Fixed the particular issue of python crashing, but it is not clear for me why...

Fixed the particular issue of python crashing, but it is not clear for me why Mantid should work at all without Mantid.properties file. re #1594

Code/Mantid/Kernel/src/ConfigService.cpp

@@ -920,41 +920,51 @@ void ConfigServiceImpl::updateFacilities(const std::string& fName)
   // Set up the DOM parser and parse xml file
   Poco::XML::DOMParser pParser;
   Poco::XML::Document* pDoc;
+
   try
   {
-    pDoc = pParser.parse(fileName);
-  } catch (...)
-  {
-    g_log.error("Unable to parse file " + fileName);
-    throw Kernel::Exception::FileError("Unable to parse file:", fileName);
-  }
-  // Get pointer to root element
-  Poco::XML::Element* pRootElem = pDoc->documentElement();
-  if (!pRootElem->hasChildNodes())
-  {
-    g_log.error("XML file: " + fileName + "contains no root element.");
-    throw std::runtime_error("No root element in Facilities.xml file");
-  }
+    try
+    {
+      pDoc = pParser.parse(fileName);
+    } catch (...)
+    {
+      throw Kernel::Exception::FileError("Unable to parse file:", fileName);
+    }
+    // Get pointer to root element
+    Poco::XML::Element* pRootElem = pDoc->documentElement();
+    if (!pRootElem->hasChildNodes())
+    {
+      pDoc->release();
+      throw std::runtime_error("No root element in Facilities.xml file");
+    }
 
-  Poco::XML::NodeList* pNL_facility = pRootElem->getElementsByTagName("facility");
-  unsigned int n = pNL_facility->length();
+    Poco::XML::NodeList* pNL_facility = pRootElem->getElementsByTagName("facility");
+    unsigned int n = pNL_facility->length();
 
-  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
-  {
-    Poco::XML::Element* elem = dynamic_cast<Poco::XML::Element*> (pNL_facility->item(i));
-    if (elem)
+    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < n; ++i)
+    {
+      Poco::XML::Element* elem = dynamic_cast<Poco::XML::Element*> (pNL_facility->item(i));
+      if (elem)
+      {
+        m_facilities.push_back(new FacilityInfo(elem));
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (m_facilities.empty())
     {
-      m_facilities.push_back(new FacilityInfo(elem));
+      pNL_facility->release();
+      pDoc->release();
+      throw std::runtime_error("The facility definition file " + fileName + " defines no facilities");
     }
+    
+    pNL_facility->release();
+    pDoc->release();
   }
-
-  if (m_facilities.empty())
+  catch(std::exception& e)
   {
-    throw std::runtime_error("The facility definition file " + fileName + " defines no facilities");
+    g_log.error(e.what());
   }
 
-  pNL_facility->release();
-  pDoc->release();
 }
 
 /** Get the default `